Chapter 11
I take a moment to deliberate his request and briefly consider turning it down.
‘You may,’ I finally reply in a formal tone.
‘I presume you want to explain why, at the eleventh hour, you have upended my career at head office in favour of throwing me to that pack of wolves.’ I nod my head towards the buffet table.
He flicks his gaze to Bodrum South who are swearing loudly while they behave like hyenas tearing an antelope apart.
They are elbowing each other out of the way to load their plates as high as they possibly can.
The Bodrum North team are eyeing them with apprehension, and are wisely giving them plenty of space.
‘Particularly when all I’m guilty of is turning up for work looking slightly dishevelled,’ I continue, trying not to raise my voice. ‘After a night in your company, I might add… under the influence of contraband supplied by you.’
Christ almighty, he’s still incredibly handsome, even when scowling directly at me. ‘I haven’t really got a choice,’ he says in hushed tones. ‘I’ve been blindsided here.’
What? (Cue a monumental gasp from me.) ‘You’ve been blindsided? What about me?’
He has the good grace to look momentarily thrown. ‘Look. I just think we need a bit of space to figure things out here.’
‘I don’t need space and there’s nothing to figure out.
It’s very simple. You are deliberately sending me away to do an entirely different job to the one I’ve been hired to do because…
’ I can barely finish the sentence. ‘Because you’re embarrassed.
About last night and what we…’ It’s no use.
I can’t finish the sentence. I will simply leave it hanging in the air forever.
‘It’s not like that. Last night… or my feelings about it… or my feelings towards you… have nothing to do with the decision to station you on the gulet.’
We glare at one another.
‘I don’t believe you. I think you’re making up the rules as you go along.
’ I’m feeling very irate now. This is my life he’s playing with.
‘Do not make me spend a week with that lot. They hate me enough already without forcing me to spend every waking hour with them on a tiny bloody boat in the middle of the bloody ocean.’
‘You can’t come to head office.’ He’s as stubborn as me. ‘You are needed on that boat.’
I fold my arms before answering him. This is a typical, masculine, walls up response.
He needs some no-frills, sensible thinking and down-to-earth logic to bring him round to my way of thinking.
‘Look, it’s not like we’ll be on top of each other at the office.
We can respect each other’s space. We already know we get on well.
’ After all, one does not spend an all-nighter can-canning on the bar to ‘New York, New York’ with someone they don’t like.
‘And as far as what happened between us—’
‘It’s not about that.’ He pierces me with an intense look.
‘So you keep saying. What is it about then?’
Jackson hesitates, half-lowering his eyelids to meet my gaze. ‘I’m sorry. The decision has been made,’ he says firmly. ‘I need you on that boat. I can’t explain why, just trust me. You never know, you might enjoy it. And, not to be a pedant, it’s the Aegean Sea. Not an ocean.’
As if that makes any difference!
He’s infuriating. I point back over to the team. They are scoffing food, laughing loudly with their mouths full, and Shaun is throwing black pitted olives at the Bodrum North team whenever they are not looking.
‘In what way will I enjoy it? And be specific.’
‘Sorry?’
‘In what way will spending a week with those imbeciles be good for me?’ I put my hands on my hips. ‘You don’t know anything about me.’ Other than that I give top-notch hand jobs and squeal like a pig when I’m orgasming.
I see his cheeks colour. ‘Well, for one thing, you’d get a good sense of working with a team. And, erm, a valuable insight into the guest experience to enable you to improve your customer service skills.’
‘Hardly a rigorous or compelling argument. How do you know that I don’t have those qualities and skills already?’ He couldn’t possibly have had time to look at my abysmal CV before he rocked up here today, so I’m willing to take the risk.
‘Have you got those skills?’ he asks tentatively.
Ah. No, I certainly have not, but he does not need to know that. ‘Just because we shared one night of… whatever it was we shared, does not mean that we can’t behave like civilised adults and work together in the same office.’
‘We’d be sharing a desk.’
‘No problem. I’m a neat freak.’
‘Staring at each other all day long.’
‘I’m extremely short-sighted.’
‘A few feet apart.’
A traitorous pang of excitement erupts in my belly at the thought of gazing at his magnificent features all day.
Keeping my face deadpan, I tilt my chin.
‘We’d manage. I could wear a bag over my head if the sight of me distracts you so much.
’ He literally told me I was the most beautiful woman in the whole universe and that he could gaze at me for eternity and it still wouldn’t be long enough. What is wrong with him?
‘I thought we agreed it was just a one-night thing. A fantastic, crazy, wild night. But that’s all it can be. What are you not understanding?’
‘What am I not understanding?’ Incredible. ‘I’m not understanding how a few hours ago we wanted to run off into the distance together and now… it’s like you can’t wait to get rid of me.’
If only I had the energy to shout at him, but a glance to the other side of the hall tells me I have bigger problems. Erika is giving me distinctly cool vibes as she glares at me and Jackson bickering.
I really can’t get on the wrong side of her.
She is literally the only one here who likes me with her princess this and princess that.
‘Is this about the troubleshooting? You having to sack people? Because you don’t have to send me to the middle of the sea just to keep it a secret. I won’t tell anyone, I swear.’
This conversation is going around in circles.
He shakes his head. ‘Sorry, Maddie. I need time to settle into this new role and I’m afraid you’d just be a distraction,’ he says, his tone quite determined now. ‘One that I can’t afford. I take my position very seriously.’
As if I don’t?
‘I wouldn’t allow anything to happen between us. I’m usually a very controlled and disciplined person.’
‘That’s not the impression I get.’
Rude but sadly… also true. My libido became insatiable to an almost psychotic degree last night and was clearly out for a good time to spite me and my vow of abstinence. I open my mouth to counter his argument, but he turns abruptly around and walks away.
Oh. My. God. What is with these self-centred, arrogant pricks? Where are all the decent men? The ones who don’t lie, cheat (yes, you, Dillon) or force me to sail off into the middle of the Aegean Sea with a bunch of idiots just to protect their own job?
* * *
The minibus ride back from the Sunrise Five Diamond Beach Hello conference centre is thoroughly miserable.
Everyone is complaining and no one is even speaking to me, but at least I am dropped off first at my aparthotel.
Erika barks at us not to be late reporting to the marina in Gumbet to meet the captain of the Love Ahoy!
gulet boat – my new prison for the next week.
To be honest, I’m just relieved it doesn’t have ‘happy’ in its name.
As I get off the bus and jump down from the final step, I look pleadingly at Erika. ‘Please don’t make me do this. If I can’t work at head office, then I’d be a great asset to Bodrum North. I’m sure of it.’
She sweeps a disappointed gaze over me and declares, ‘Coming from you, princess, that means very little. I want you to succeed, I really do, but you’re not making it easy.
You failed to turn up to the welcome party.
You’ve had more complaints than any single employee we’ve ever hired.
You were clearly out all night getting stoned.
You were late getting onto the bus this morning.
You reek of kippers. Do I need to go on? ’
‘I can fix my hair and look smart and even… even… help you with managerial tasks.’ Hello? My degree in accounting? My assertive way with people? My positive mental attitude?
‘Could you though? From what I’ve seen so far, you’re a much better fit with…’ She slides her eyes towards the Bodrum South team, now engaged in what looks like an argument over an abandoned flip-flop. Her cutting remark really gets to me. I bite my lip to stop it wobbling.
‘But I’m sure you’ll manage to whip this lot into shape,’ she booms, loud enough for them to hear. ‘They obviously need you more than my team. Good luck.’ The bus door hisses loudly, drowning out a fresh barrage of complaints.
I stare after the bus. How will I be able to turn this situation around? I will be stuck with a crew of reps who actively dislike me for a whole week.
My soul droops.
If only it were possible to project-manage animosity like you can someone’s accounts. I blow out my cheeks. Mathematics may not teach us to add love or subtract hate, but at least it gives us hope that every problem has a solution.